Wire-line-drilling-clamp



G. F. BELL. WIRE LINE DRILLING CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 1919.

Patented June 22, 1920.

INVENTOR 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

l l h u l h WITN ESES ATTOR N EY G F BELL WIRE LINE DRILLING CLAMP.PPLICATION FILED MA 29 Patented June 22, 1920-.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE FRANCIS BELL, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

WIRE-LINE. DRILLING-CLAMP.

Application filed March 29, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. BELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, haveinvented a new and useful tVire Line Drilling Clamp, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to wire line drilling clamps and its objectis to provide means whereby wear or damage to a wire drilling rope isavoided.

In recent years wire rope or cable has to a great extent taken the placeof Manila rope for drilling in oil, gas and Artesian wells. The wireline is held by a clamp structure while drilling, supported at the endof a temper screw for lowering and raising the cable that carries thedrilling tool.

The clamps now in use for the purpose are so constructed that a drillermay slip the line through them, instead of using the temper screw whichis made for the purpose of lowering and raising the line. The voluntaryslipping of the line is strictly forbid den because it is very injuriousto the wire line since the heavy tools on pulling the line through theclamp cause severing of the small wires on the inside and out shavingsfrom the outside of the cable, thus taking the life out of the line anddepriving it of its elasticity. This latter quality is very essential indrilling, since the tools are operated entirely by the spring of therope. However, despite the prohibition as to voluntary slipping of theline itself it is much more convenient to the operator than turning thetemper screw, and consequently such slipping is allowedby the operator.

-The invention provides for a control action similar to slipping, butwithout the damaging qualities thereof. The invention provides a clampwith the clamping parts so arranged that they will hold the line withany desired degree of force, and at the same time permit a progressivemovement similar to a caterpillar movement. This is ac complished by theuse of endless flexible members directly engaging the line and carriedby blocks forming tracks for the flexible elements, together with apressure device by which the progress of the flexible elements iscontrolled, the pressure device being in position to be particularlyeasy of access.

The invention provides a clamp of very simple construction, withoutbolts, pins,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1920.

Serial No. 286,031.

small screws or riveted parts to get loose or become corroded andrendered useless.

The clamp has the advantage of being wholly non-injurious to the wireline or cable, permits the operator to avoid using a temper screwwithout ill effects, is more convenient, simple in construction and moredurable, and also costs less to manufacture than other devices for thepurpose.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, with the understanding,however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformitywith the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified solong as such changes and modifications mark no material departure fromthe salient features of the invention as expressed in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the clamp showing one face thereof.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the clamp showing the other face.

Fig. 3 is a central side-to-side vertical section through the clamp.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the clamp with gripping chains shown incross section where engaging the wire line.

Referring to the drawings: there are shown two clamp blocks, 1 and 2, ofsimilar construction, consequently a description of one clamp block willapply to the other. Each clamp block comprises a body portion extendedlaterally at one end into a hook 3, and having a laterally extendedportion 4, at the other end. The facing portions of the blocks arestraight so that a wire rope or cable 5, may be passed between them.Each block, along the adjacent or meeting face, about the hook end 3,and around the other end 4, is provided with a guiding groove, 6, soformed as to receive and retain an endless gripping chain 7, there beingtwo such chain's, one for each clamp block. Each chain comprises aseries of block links 8, and connecting links 9, for the block links,pivoted to and alternating with said block links. The links 9 may beflat plate links such as indicated in the drawings, and the block links8 have those faces which engage the rope 5, each provided with alongitudinal groove or seat 10, suitably shaped to seat the rope 5.

The depth of each groove or seat 10, is

less than half the diameter of the rope or cable 5, in order to permitas firm a grip of the rope as desired without the blocks 8 being broughtinto contact with each other, and the depth of the grooves or channels,6 on the meeting faces of the blocks, is less than the links of theblocks 8, so that the desired pressure may be exerted upon the rope 5,without the clamps, 1 and 2, coming into contact when applied to therope or cable 5.

On'one face of each block there is formed a projection, 11, )rovidedwith a grooveor channel 12, in the long side thereof remote 7 from theother projection, and engaged about these projections, seated in thegroove 12, is a link 13, serving as a holding means for limiting theseparatlon of the blocks 1 and 2'in action, and also acting as a pivotdinal slots 17, on opposite sides, through which the ends 15 of thearms'14' project, and along which slots they are capable of movementlengthwise ofthe-yoke. The sides of the yokeother thanthosc having theslots 17 have longitudinal slots 18 through them for the passage ofaheaded pin 19, passing through one of the ends'1'5. The other arm hasits ,end 15, where within the yoke 16, provided with a notch'orrecess'20' entered by a projection 21 in the adjacent portion of theyoke, so that'the yoke-will remain in engagement with the said arm 14without liability of" slipping therefrom, and said yoke is also heldon-the other arm 14, by the pin 19: That end'of the yoke remote frcmtheproject-ion 21,- is prolonged, and-a screw 22 has its stem threadedthrough the'prolongation so'as to bear against the end 15 oftheneighboring arm 14: A- T handle 23, on

the screw 22, serves as 'aconvenient-means for manipulating tl1e;screw.7

Links 24, engaging the hook ends 3 of the clamp blocks, provide supportsfor the clamp. blocks and may be connected to a temper screw or othersuitable support inthecustomary manner. "When the clamp is in operationthe wire drilling line 5, is engaged on opposite sides of the chainsTwith a force determined by the adjustment of the screw 22 actingthrough the lever-arm 141 Thereis a considerable length of chainengaging the clamp blocks 1 and 2m the ad Vja'cent grooved edgesthereof, and as the in engagement is considerably greater than thesurfaces of the same block links where engaging the bottom of the groove6, these links being further reduced in engaging area by havinglongitudinal grooves 25 formed therein, the chains will slip morereadily in the blocks 1 and 2 than the rope or cable will slip throughthe clamping chains. The result is that the feeding slippage. of thearea of the rope or. cable and link blocks 8 V rope,which heretofore hasproven extremely harmful to the rope, occurs without any harm andpermits the operator to follow his inclinations to. avoid the use of thetemper screw with its inconvenience of manipulation. V r

thatv wear may occur is confined to the clamp blocksand the clampchainsand such wear is readily taken up by the screw 22 asmay benecessary. The wire rope. or cable isnot subjected to wear at all so faras'the clamp. is concerned since there is no slippage of the wire ropethrough the clamp, the travel of the wire ropez'occurring without any:relative movement of the rope with respect to; the parts gripping.- it.Moreover, the rope may be clamped as tightly or as easily as maybe foundexpedient.

What is claimed is:

1. A" wire line drilling clamp having clamping members,and a devicecarried by the clamping members for directly engaging the line-andyieldable in the direction. of travel of the linev through the clampingmembers;

2; A wire line drilling clamp, comprising clamping members, each with adevice movable in the clamping members for engaging a wire line passingthrough. the clamping members and movable with. the. wire line,

whereby to avoid: relative movement of; the

wire line through the parts directly enlgaglnglt." V V f 3. A wire linedrilling-clamp, comprising clamp blocks, means for forcing the clampblocks toward each other togrip the line,

and engaging-devices carried by the clampblocks, said engagingdevicesbeing movable with the line inthe same direction as-the travel of theline through the clamp;

4. A wire linedrilling clamp comprising clamp blocks having portions inadjacent relation to pass and=grip a wire line, said adjacenti portionshaving grooves or: channelsexten'dedin the same direction asthe travelof the linethrough the clamp, and

movable line' clamp devices seated in the grooves or channels anddirectly engaging the wire line to res-1st movement of the line throughthe clamp, by frictionaltengage 'mentof theengaging-devices; with clampblocks: V

5. A wire line a pair of clamp blocks-inopposed'relation and providedwith grooves or channels drilling'clamp comprising where in opposition,an endless flexible line engaging device movable along each groove orchannel, and co-actively shaped to grip a wire line between them, thearea of engagement of the gripping devices with the wire line beinggreater than the area of engagement of the gripping devices with theclamp blocks, whereby the clamping devices may slip along the clampblocks in the direction of travel of the wire line without slippagebetween the wire line and the engaging devices.

6. A wire line drilling clamp comprising a pair of clamp blocks withmarginal grooves or channels and having portions of the channels of thetwo blocks in substantially parallel relation, and endless flexibleengaging devices for the wire line lodged in the channels and grooved toreceive the wire line between them, whereby the wire line and engagingdevices may travel through the clamp in the same direction withoutslippage between the wire line and engaging devices.

7. A wire line drilling clamp comprising a pair of opposed blocks, meansfor adjusting and holding them in opposed relation to pass a wire linebetween them, said blocks having their marginal portions grooved orchanneled, and an endless chain carried by each block in the peripheralgroove thereof, said chain having longitudinally grooved links forgripping the wire line or cable with the links seated in the grooves andengaging the bottom thereof, whereby the links may slip along the blockswith the wire line held between the links without slippage along thelatter.

8. A wire line drilling clamp, comprising a pair of clamp blocks, havingadjacent opposed edge portions between which the wire line is passed,each clamp block having a marginal groove or channel, means forconnecting the blocks and adjusting the spacing of the blocks withrespect to each other, and an endless chain for each block seated in andmovable along the marginal grooves thereof, the adjacent edges of theblocks where passing the wire line being substantially parallel, and thechains including their links formed with grooves to seat the wire line.

9. A wire line drilling clamp, comprising a pair of clamp blocks, havingadjacent opposed edge portions between which the wire line is passed andsaid blocks each being laterally expanded at the ends with one of theexpanded ends formed into a hook for receiving sustaining means, andeach clamp block having a marginal groove or channel, means forconnecting the blocks and adjusting the spacing of the blocks withrespect to each other'and an endless chain for each block seated in andmovable along the marginal grooves thereof, the adjacent edges of theblocks where passing the wire line being substantially parallel, and thechains, including links, formed with grooves to seat the wire line, saidlinks being also grooved on the opposite edges from those engaging thewire line to engage the bottoms of the grooves in the adjacent edges ofthe blocks, whereby to provide more extended engaging surface for thewire line than for the clamp blocks.

10. A wire line drilling clamp comprising a pair of clamp blocks withelongated, substantially parallel adjacent edges, said edges beinggrooved or channeled, in the direction of the len th of the clampblocks, endless chains eacli carried by a respective block seated in thegroove or channel thereof, said chains being arranged to engage a wireline or cable between them and grooved to seat the cable, and means foradjustably holding the blocks in position to clamp a wire line betweenthe chains where in juxtaposition.

11. A wire line drilling clamp comprising a pair of clamp blocks withelongated, substantially parallel adjacent edges, said edges beinggrooved or channeled in the direction of the length of the clamp blocks,endless chains each carried by a respective block and seated in thegroove adjacent thereto, said chains being arranged to engage a wireline or cable between them and grooved to seat the cable, and means foradjustably holding the blocks in position to clamp a wire line betweenthe chains where in juxtaposition, said last named means comprising alink and hook connection between the clamp blocks on one face thereof,arms projecting from the opposite faces of the clamp blocks and a yokeand screw connection between the arms.

12. A wire line drilling clamp comprising opposed clamp members withmeans for adjusting them with respect to each other, and engaging meanson the clamp members for a wire line comprising endless chains, one foreach clamp member, with each chain having links shaped to partly embracethe wire line and the chain where engaging the respective clamp memberhaving a less area of contact with the clamp member than with the wireline, whereby the chain will slip on the clamp member with the wire linewithout slippage occurring between the wire line and the chain.

In testimony that I claim. the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaifixed my signature.

GEORGE FRANCIS BELL.

